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Noelle Lambert, a New Hampshire native who played Division I lacrosse for UMass Lowell, finished in the top 8 on season 43 of "Survivor." After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Lambert went on to make the US Paralympic Team in 2019.
She later broke the US women's record for the 100-meter dash at the World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai, according to her website. Little did Lambert know that she would be breaking even more barriers as she became the first amputee to compete on "Survivor" this season.
"I'm always the type person to say 'Yes' to kind of prove it to myself and to other people that I can do anything," Lambert said in an interview with Daily Voice. "It's very entertaining and it's very exciting to be able to live my life like that."
Lambert wanted to compete on the reality show to create a positive image for the amputee community and people with disabilities overall. She also wanted to prove that anyone going through a rough patch can overcome whatever challenges they face.
At first, Lambert found it difficult believing in herself to tackle the various obstacles and challenges the show presented, but soon realized that the biggest obstacle was herself. The athlete credits her fellow cast members for helping her get over this metaphorical hump.
"In the beginning...it was just me telling myself, 'I'm all alone,'" Lambert said. "As the game goes on, it's crazy because a lot of people wouldn't suspect this, but you do gain an amazing relationship with your cast-mates."
Lambert even formed a special bond with fellow competitor Ryan Medrano, who suffers from Cerebral Palsy. Once she learned about Medrano's disorder, Lambert nearly came clean about a secret she was keeping from the cast.
"I didn't tell them that I was a Paralympian or that I was a professional athlete. I just said I was a lacrosse coach just because I already have my prosthetic and I didn't want the stigma of having this great, incredible story," she said.
"[So] when Ryan told me he had Cerebral Palsy, I immediately wanted to be like, 'Oh my God, you do the Paralympics,' but I was just like, 'I have to wait.'"
Now that Lambert was voted off the show, she's free to share her "secret" with the world. One way in which she plans on doing that is through her work with the Born to Run Foundation, which donates "specialized prosthetics" to amputees in need.
She expects more donations to come from the organization in the next few months while she trains for several upcoming competitions in both track and snowboarding.
"Being able to do this experience has given me amazing exposure. So I'm hopefully trying to capitalize on it," Lambert said.
Although she came up short, Lambert encourages fans to keep watching the show and root on her amazing cast members. People can tune in to "Survivor" every Wednesday night on CBS.
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